One Health is the collaborative effort of multiple disciplines working locally, nationally, and globally to attain sustainable optimal health for the ecosystem*. It is a cultural and behavioral concept with socioeconomic elements and impact.

*a biological community of living organisms (humans, animals, plants, and microbes) and their physical environment interacting as a system

Originally posted in the May 2016 Dean's Corner. View the
original article, at
http://vetmed.tamu.edu/news/for-deans-corner/may-2016/texas-am-one-health-initiative-contributes-to-the-50th-anniversary-aavmc-conference.

Today, many leaders in science and medicine have adopted a One
Health approach to global wellbeing. One of these leaders is the
Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC), which
held its annual conference and celebrated its 50th Anniversary in
Washington D.C., March 4-6, 2016. The Texas A&M One Health
Initiative contributed three presentations at this conference.

Dr. Rosina “Tammi” Krecek, interim assistant dean of the Texas
A&M One Health Initiative, presented “Building One Health
Research at Texas A&M: A Successful Model,” which focused on
successes of research, education, and service programs of the Texas
A&M One Health Initiative. One research-related success
discussed was the noted productivity from five principal
investigators (PIs), who were awarded Grand Challenge One Health
Research seed grants from 2014-2015. The criteria used to award
these projects were that the research was transformative,
interdisciplinary and had a One Health approach. The PIs
included:

Suresh Pillai (College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
[COALS]) using electron beam technology to create safer water,
food, and environments

Arum Han (Texas A&M College of Engineering) studying “organ
on a chip”

Sarah Lawhon (CVM) investigating antimicrobial resistance

In just a year, these interdisciplinary collaborative research
teams included over 70 collaborators and engaged 70 students. Other
research metrics were the extensive numbers of grants submitted and
awarded as well as as service activities. PIs used the seed money
in a number of ways, including proof of concept results, which led
to submission of successful grant applications; expansion of
research trials into high-risk geographical communities; and
funding and hosting a university-wide symposium with 50 student and
15 faculty presentations of research findings generated during the
funding year, as well as bringing a prominent and renowned speaker
to address the evening session.

The two posters presented at the AAVMC conference highlighted
the Texas A&M One Health Initiative International Experience in
Nicaragua during summer of 2015. These posters were titled “A
Survey Analysis of Human and Public Health Disparities on Ometepe
Island, Nicaragua” and “Students’ Perspective of One Heath
Interprofessional Collaboration in Ometepe, Nicaragua.” This team
was composed of professional and graduate students from four Texas
A&M colleges and schools, University of Tennessee, and staff
from the One Health Program: Chelsea Stewart (College of Medicine
(COM)), Christina Babu (COM), Jade Haberman (CVM), Michelle
Kurkowski (CVM), Benton Harvey (University of Tennessee CVM and
School of Public Health (SPH)), Valery Roman-Cruz (SPH) and
Merrideth Holub (COALS, CVM).

The impact and success of the Texas A&M One Health
Initiative is attributed to the interdisciplinary nature of
productive researchers and educators who work widely across the
university, locally, regionally, nationally, and
internationally.